Jen Robinson's Book Page

On Homework and Our Own Recent Experiences

Sandhya Nankani shared a Washington Post article by Valerie Strauss with me this week that I want to highlight here. It's about the positive outcomes that a Vermont elementary school has been experiencing since replacing homework with free reading time. Principal Mark Trifilio did his research, and then proposed an experiment to his school's teachers:

"stopping all homework in every grade and asking students to read on their own at school — or, if they were not ready to read on their own, to do it with a parent or guardian. He said he was surprised when every one of them — classroom teachers as well as those who work with special-education students and English-language learners — signed on to the idea."

Here is the school's policy, posted on their website, which I LOVE:

"No Homework Policy
Orchard School Homework Information
Student’s Daily Home Assignment
1. Read just-right books every night —
(and have your parents read to you too).
2. Get outside and play —
that does not mean more screen time.
3. Eat dinner with your family —
and help out with setting and cleaning up.
4. Get a good night’s sleep."

They are only six months in, but Trifilio has declared the experiment a success, with most parents (excepting a small minority) happy with their kids having more time for family and for other interests. Please do go and read the whole article. 

This article was particularly timely for me because I recently had the harrowing experience of having my first grade daughter sobbing  and begging not to have to do her homework one night. It wasn't that the work was too hard for her. It was just not how she wanted to spend her time on that particular evening. The complaints rolled off of her. "It takes up too much time." "I have other things I prefer to do." "This is boring." "I don't WANT to." "WHY do I have to?" There was even an "I hate homework" song. 

She did get through it, and most days are not nearly this bad. [And yes, I did let her teacher know that the homework level had made her cry, and we do like her teacher very much in all other regards.] I've been making extra effort since then to make sure that she's not too tired when homework time rolls around, which makes a big difference. But this isn't easy, either, because it cuts into my work time (I have to pick her up from after-school care earlier) and because she has other afternoon activities that we value (karate, school play, Girl Scouts, time with friends). 

Here's what I know. If our elementary school established a policy like the one at Orchard School in Vermont, I would be absolutely thrilled. Many (though certainly not all) parents I know would be equally thrilled. My daughter would literally turn cartwheels if she could read instead of doing worksheets. She would undoubtedly read more. Her reading ability would improve, and she would enjoy reading even more. I think that she would spend more time writing, too, because that's something she likes to do when she has the time. Our evenings would be more peaceful. We would have more family time. And we would have more flexibility in managing my daughter's other activities, especially time with friends.

While none of this seems very likely at the moment, articles like the one this week from The Washington Post give me hope. 

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This post may contain affiliate links. 

Hats Off to You!: Karen Beaumont and LeUyen Pham

Book: Hats Off to You!
Author: Karen Beaumont
Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
Pages: 40
Age Range: 4-8

The just-released Hats Off to You! is a companion book to the glittery Shoe-la-la!. In the first book, four girls declare their love for shoes. In this new title, the same girls are enamored of hats: dramatic, sparkly, eye-catching hats. The story begins with Emily, Ashley, Kaitlyn, and Claire in an attic, dressing up in fancy clothes, but lacking hats. They go down to a street fair conveniently located below and find a tent called "Chez Chapeaux" (yes, this is one of those books that will have the reader rhyming everything by the end of a read-through). They try on a plethora of hats before returning to the attic to add extra decorations to their selections. Only at the end of the book does the reader learn that the outfits are for a mother-daughter tea. 

Beaumont's bouncy text is read-aloud friendly and unabashedly glamour-focused. Like this:

"Oo-la-la! This hat's tres chic.
Mine was made in Mozambique.

Funky hat, to match my shoes.
I like the girly curlicues." 

She does vary the meter occasionally, to keep things from getting too sing-songy. Like this:

"Emily, Ashley, Kaitlyn, Claire!
Need to choose new hats to wear.

Hats and more hats piled up high.
Which hats do we want to buy?

Oh, my!"

There's almost a Dr. Seuss feel to the above example, paired as it is with LeeUyen Pham's jaunty illustrations of the girls dancing around the store, following the vendor. Each ends up with a leaning stack of multiple hats atop her head. The vendor's clown-like attire adds to the over-the-top feel of the celebration. 

As for the girls, they are adorable, with big smiles, and apparently boundless energy. They represent a range of ethnicities, with the hat-seller adding yet another gradation of skin tones. Each mom strongly resembles her daughter, and the book ends in warm hugs and thanks to the moms for all that they do. What mom wouldn't want to read this with her daughter? What six-year-old wouldn't delight in the crazy hats that end up on the moms' heads? 

Hats Off to You! is a delightful celebration of friendship, motherhood, and dressing up. It is multicultural without being "about" diversity, which is, I think, a great way to go when you can pull it off. While clearly aimed at four to eight year old girls, I could see Hats Off to You! appealing to that segment of little boys who like dressing up, too. It is read-aloud friendly and one that I look forward to sharing with my own six-year-old. Recommended!

Publisher: Scholastic  (@Scholastic) 
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History: Walter Dean Myers and Floyd Cooper

Book: Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Illustrator: Floyd Cooper
Pages: 40
Age Range: 5-9

Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History is a picture book biography written by Walter Dean Myers and illustrated by Floyd Cooper. In straightforward fashion, it traces the life of a man named Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, born a slave in Maryland, who eventually (changing his name along the way) becomes a writer and leader of the abolitionist movement, as well as an advocate for women's rights. Myers gives particular focus to Frederick's quest to learn to read. His owner's wife starts to teach him, but her husband fears that learning to read will "make (Frederick) unfit to be a slave." He's right about that, in fact, and Frederick eventually escapes to Massachusetts. 

This is a very text-dense picture book that refers (though it doesn't dwell upon) to mature matters, including the fact hat Frederick was beaten for arguing with his master. I think it's more suitable for kids in elementary school than earlier. Reading it with kids will of course spark discussion about slavery, the causes of the Civil War, early women's rights, and the militant abolitionist John Brown. Like this:

"When he was nineteen, Frederick fell in love with a free black woman, Anna Murray. But he was a slave and could not be with her as he chose. The lure of freedom because almost unbearable, but to try to escape was a risky business. Slaveholders did not want to lose their precious "property." When slaves who tried to escape were caught, they were often punished severely.

Frederick new he had to take the chance!"

I do have one quibble about the book. The text skips over the fact that British sympathizers bought Douglass' freedom from his owner. This information is included in a timeline at the end of the book, as is the text of the document officially freeing him. But as I was reading the book I found it odd that this wasn't mentioned. I'm sure that Myers had a reason, but to me it was confusing. The timeline is helpful, though. 

I was quite pleased with Cooper's illustrations, rendered in erasers and oils on board. The old-fashioned sepia tones transport readers to the time of the story. We see Frederick as mostly serious throughout the book, but it's a picture of him as a boy enrapt as the mistress of the house reads to him that tugs at the viewers heart. 

Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History covers a lot of historical ground, educating young readers about Douglass himself, as well about America in the 1800s. Myers does a nice job, I think, of humanizing Frederick, while keeping the story focused on the facts. This, I think, is the right balance for a book for younger readers. His focus on the power of words also comes through without being didactic, and delivers a more powerful message about education because of that restraint. Frederick Douglass would be a strong addition to any library's biography collection. 

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books (@HarperChildrens) 
Publication Date: January 24, 2017
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

The Goldfish Boy: Lisa Thompson

Book: The Goldfish Boy
Author: Lisa Thompson
Pages: 320
Age Range: 8-12 

The Goldfish Boy is a very impressive debut novel by Lisa Thompson. Set on a small street in a suburb outside of London, The Goldfish Boy is about the mysterious disappearance of a toddler. The story is told by first person narrator Matthew, who is wrestling with his own demons. As Matthew strives to figure out what happened to little Teddy, he also shares clues with readers about the triggers for his own steadily worsening obsessive compulsive disorder. 

Matthew's voice is simply fascinating, unusual and distinctive, painful yet funny. So trapped by his fears of germs that he is virtually unable to leave his house, Matthew entertains himself by watching his neighbors out the window. He even takes little notes. This viewpoint and attention to detail position Matthew somewhat for putting together the clues about Teddy's disappearance, though he ends up needing some on-the-ground help from two neighbors. 

The two mysteries (Teddy's disappearance and the root of Matthew's compulsions) captured my interest. But it was really Matthew's voice that kept me reading The Goldfish Boy. You know you are in good hands when you find passages like this:

"I lived on a quiet, dead-end street in a town full of people who said how great it was that they didn't live in that big, smelly city of London--and who then spent most of their mornings desperately trying to get there." (Page 1)

and this:

"Mr. Charles could have been anything from sixty-five to ninety-five years old. He never seemed to get older. I figured he'd found an age he quite liked and just stopped right there." (Page 3) 

Here's one of many passages about Matthew's OCD:

"My bedroom was the best part of the house. It was safe. It was free from germs. Out there, things were dangerous. What people didn't seem to understand was that dirt meant germs and germs meant illness and illness meant death. It was was quite obvious when you thought about it. I needed things to be right, and in my room I had complete control. All I had to do was keep on top of it." (Page 12)

The Goldfish Boy is a book that has the potential to make young readers feel more compassion towards students who are struggling with inner demons. The other characters in the book, particularly two other twelve-year-olds living on Matthew's street, are complex and intriguing. We learn through flashbacks, for example, about Matthew's relationship with his childhood friend Jake, who is now a bit of a bully. Thompson traces Jakes's evolution from bullying victim to bully, and casts just the faintest hint of Matthew's culpability through lack of loyalty. Matthew's developing relationship with newer neighbor Melody, who has her own questionable habits, is both entertaining and thought-provoking.   

The Goldfish Boy is book that I think will intrigue both children and adults.  It has strong characters, a ripped-from-the-headlines mystery, and a protagonist with a unique and compelling voice. I was surprised to learn that it was Lisa Thompson's first novel. It is a most assured debut, and I look forward to Thompson's future work. Highly recommended. 

Publisher:  Scholastic Press (@Scholastic)
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: February 17: The #Cybils Awards, #WRAD17, Schools and #Play

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. A highlight this week is the fact that the Cybils Award winners were announced on Tuesday (Valentine's Day). Other topics this week include #BookGivingDay, #BookLists, #math, book selection, bullying, charter schools, friendship, growing bookworms, libraries, play, reading, schools, screentime, student volunteers, Valentine's Day, World Read Aloud Day, writing. 

Book Lists

For Valentine's Day: 10 Great #PictureBooks about Love – #BookList from @tashrow https://t.co/uWEepbw4hv

28 Black #PictureBooks That Aren’t About Boycotts, Buses or Basketball | Scott Woods  http://ow.ly/vWod3092nj8  #BookList #DiverseBooks

A curated #BookList from The Classroom Bookshelf to align with @litworldsays 7 strengths (curiosity etc) for #WRAD17 http://ow.ly/8imL3094tS5 

Cybils

The 2016 #cybils winners are LIVE http://tinyurl.com/zb55bra  #kidlit #ya #poetry #graphicnovels #nonfiction + more.  Thanks to all our judges!

5 Multicultural #Cybils Chapter Book Nominees, highlights from R1 judge Claire Noland  #DiverseBooks #kidlit http://ow.ly/IcB8308YgzW 

#Cybils Announcements Coming Tomorrow | judge @gail_gauthier runs down #YA speculative fiction finalists #kidlit http://ow.ly/j2oX308YfhD 

Happy 11th Blogiversary to @MsYingling, long-time #cybils category chair for middle grade fiction  http://ow.ly/fmH73094uI6 

Diversity

Multicultural Statistics for 3400 books received by @CCBCwisc in 2016 http://ow.ly/6bnF3092Vge  #DiverseBooks #kidlit #YA

Events + Programs

12 Apps & Websites for World Read Aloud Day (or any day!)  #WRAD17 @litworldsays  @classtechtips  http://ow.ly/7An0308Yhho  #ReadAloud

Building a World of Empathy Through the Simple Yet Profound Act of #ReadingAloud @pamallyn @ReadBrightly  http://ow.ly/gvG33092VGy  #WRAD17

Celebrate World Read Aloud Day #WRAD17 on 2/16 w/ these free online + offline resources @Scholastic http://ow.ly/L2zN3092moN 

In addition to #ValentinesDay + #Cybils Day today is International #BookGivingDay 2017  @bookgivingday | Give books! http://ow.ly/9Lbr3090lHQ 

Valentines for Walking Books: A Student Volunteer Success Story from @abbylibrarian that brightened my day http://ow.ly/GEyl3090mv7 

Growing Bookworms

On Kids Who Delight in Characters Behaving Badly by @kirleclerc @nerdybookclub http://ow.ly/rGCB308Yh4A  #JunieBJones + more

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

Life lessons in “best friend” easy readers @teddyballgame83 @HornBook  http://ow.ly/Wa0m308TLhb  #kidlit @The_Pigeon #FrogAndToad

When They Still Just Hate to Write… | Some tips for how parents + teachers can support #writing @pernilleripp https://t.co/YUS7EAD6Th

Comical Information | Jennifer Wharton discusses + recommends #nonfiction #GraphicNovels @sljournal https://t.co/axqj1wHZrt

So Many Books, So Little Time: Tips for #Reading Strategically | @donalynbooks @nerdybookclub  http://ow.ly/Ojh4308YfHP  | Abandon books +more

A Good Scare: How Horror Books Can Help Kids Conquer Their Fears | @CurtisJobling @ReadBrightly  http://ow.ly/EYRJ3095grb  #kidlit

Schools and Libraries

Reviews of three new books for #educators on the Importance of #Play @sljournal  http://ow.ly/YKi23090tyn 

Are teachers harming kids by assigning #screentime in class + #homework asks @Screensandkids @BAMRadioNetwork https://t.co/5gv5gqy81Q

How Access to Nature During The #School Year Can Help Students Thrive | Leah Shaffer @MindShiftKQED http://ow.ly/7VOT308XDX3  #Play

Not surprising, but worth reading: School bullying linked to poorer academic achievement @DailyGenius @drdouggreen https://t.co/rqZs8Ii4Xw

Hidden Digital Spaces (like @Twitter chats) Where Innovation in #Education is Brewing http://ow.ly/8oP6308TptQ  @MIND_Research #Collaboration

Buh-bye Barriers - A call from @lochwouters Stop #Library Fines + improve access http://ow.ly/DisS308ToZk [See also this followup: http://ow.ly/hx8P3090DA9]

Parent shares why she (and others she knows) chose #CharterSchool for her daughter @anaperiodista @HuffingtonPost https://t.co/0Jz6vO6gJj

In the age of robots, our #schools are teaching children to be redundant| @GeorgeMonbiot @guardian on other ways https://t.co/nIJlVdwqxu

STEM

Examples of (and motivation for) using #Math Talk with Preschoolers @easycda @BAMRadioNetwork  http://ow.ly/yQRd3092m59  #STEM #ECE

In Call for Early #STEM Learning, #Libraries Cited as Potential ‘Charging Stations’ | Lisa Jacobson @sljournal https://t.co/V3lFp17ee4

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Stinky Spike: The Pirate Dog: Peter Meisel and Paul Meisel

Book: Stinky Spike: The Pirate Dog
Author: Peter Meisel
Illustrator: Paul Meisel
Pages: 80
Age Range: 5-7 (Illustrated early reader, full-color)

Stinky Spike: The Pirate Dog kicks off a new series in Bloomsbury's Read & Bloom line of early readers with full color illustrations. Written by Peter Meisel and illustrated by Paul Meisel, the book introduces Spike, a dog who works at a shipyard chasing away birds, and who excels at chasing down bad smells. One day, in the course of his duties, Spike falls in the water and is swept out to sea, saved only by an old wooden bucket full of bits of rotten fish. After some adventures on the high seas, Spike is taken in by a crew of a rather inept pirates, who christen him Stinky Spike. But can Stinky Spike's strong nose help the pirate crew in their quest for treasure? 

Peter Meisel's text is kid friendly, full of strong, alliterative sentences, not too difficult for newer readers. Like this:

"Spike was in trouble. "Scram, flappers!" he howled as he bolted at the birds.

But there was a patch of slippery, slimy seaweed on the dock. Spike's paws slid out from under him. He skidded off the edge of the dock.

SPLASH! Spike landed in the ocean." (Page 18)

And here are the pirates talking:

"Crusty clam shells! This sea dog stinks worse than rotten anchovies." Zip gagged.

"Or spoiled sardine stew!" Zelda choken.

"Blimey, that's quite a stench. What be your name, mutt?" Fishbeard scowled.

Bonus points for the ship having a female first-mate. With an eye patch, no less. 

Pirates, a dog, and a host of bad smells. What is not to like for the kindergarten and first grade crowd? Stinky Spike: The Pirate Dog has three chapters, wide text spacing, and at least a half-page of illustration for every page spread. Paul Meisel's illustrations are full of entertaining details, like fish literally poking out of Captain Fishbeard's beard. He uses wavy lines to indicate the presence of bad smells, of which there are many. The pirates are ragged but not at all intimidating, and Spike himself is an intrepid, if pungent, figure. In short, this is a fine addition to the ranks of early readers. A second installment, Stinky Spike and the Royal Rescue, releases on the same day as the first (though I have not seen that one). I suspect that Stinky Spike will be a hit with the primary-grade crowd, and that other titles will be forthcoming. Recommended, especially for libraries serving new readers. 

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (@BloomsburyKids)
Publication Date: March 14, 2017
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Growing Bookworms Newsletter: February 15: Picture Books, Literacy Milestones, and Reading Choice

Today, I will be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on growing joyful learners, mainly bookworms, but also mathematicians and learners of all types. The newsletter is sent out every two to three weeks.

Newsletter Update:  In this issue I have four book reviews (all picture books) and a post with my daughter's latest literacy milestone (dying to finish a book and having to wait). I also have one post in which I recount several smaller steps along my daughter's path to literacy, and two posts with links that I shared recently on Twitter.

Reading Update: In the past two weeks I sadly only completed one book. I read: 

• Ingrid Thoft: Duplicity (Fina Ludlow). G.P. Putman's Sons. Adult Mystery. Completed February 4, 2017, on Kindle. This PI series is a bit dark, but I like the Boston (and surrounding suburbs) setting. 

Usually I at least get in audiobook reading time, but due to an illness, I've been unable to exercise, and hence even my audiobook reading time has been significantly curtailed.  I'm currently listening to W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton and reading The Most Frightening Story Ever Told by Philip Kerr. I have some travel coming up and do hope to get more reading time in soon. 

My husband and I are just about finished reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling to our daughter. We decided that we wanted to listen to the last 2 chapters together as a family, and finding time for that has been a little tricky.  She continues to read from chapter books on her own. Most recently she became very excited about reading The BFG by Roald Dahl. I warned her that it might be a bit too challenging to be enjoyable, but she delighted in being able to tell people that she was reading a 240 page chapter book. It was a hard read, though, with a lot of made up words and the giant speaking in grammatically questionable sentences. She has now put it aside for a Mouse Scouts book by Sarah Dillard that I think will be a better fit. I try to mind my own business as much as possible, and let her figure things out on her own. You can find her 2017 reading list here. 

Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms. 

© 2016 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Pax and Blue: Lori Richmond

Book: Pax and Blue
Author: Lori Richmond
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-6

Pax and Blue by Lori Richmond is the story of a friendship between a small boy and a blue-tinged pigeon. Pax and Blue meet every day on a bus stop, where they greet one another with words and coos, respectively. Every day, Pax shares a bit of his toast with Blue, as a gesture of friendship. However, one day Pax's mother is late, and drags him away before he can share his customary crumbs with Blue. Not understanding, Blue follows Pax all the way onto a subway car, where his appearance causes a bit of a scene. Luckily, Pax knows what to do the, and both pigeon and friendship are saved.

Richmond's text is straightforward and just a touch sentimental. Like this:

"But this morning was different.
Pax knew little ones can get rushed along--
Especially when Mom can't be late.

But Blue didn't understand." 

The "little ones" in the above, as well as another reference to it being not "so easy being little" on the previous page, make me think that Pax and Blue is a better fit for preschoolers than for older kids. There's a pathos to statements like "Blue was lost, and didn't know the way out" that support this, too. 

For me, what makes the book are Richmond's illustrations. Pax and Blue are always shown in brighter whites and colors, while the background and most characters are in more muted shares of gray and purple. Pax, with his huge glasses and worried face, is charming, and Blue's quiet sadness when Pax passes him by is touching. A favorite page for young listeners is sure to be a spread in which we see just Blue's face, eyes enormous and white, and the text "Uh oh" (prior to Blue being noticed on the subway car). 

It's also nice to see the urban setting of the book, too, something still less common than suburbia in picture books. Pax and Blue are two friends sure to win the hearts of many preschoolers. Pax and Blue would make a nice book for a library storytime, or a comforting bedtime read-aloud. 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (@SimonKids)
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Literacy Milestone: The Delightful Frustration of Wanting to Finish a Book (and having to stop)

The other morning my daughter and I finished the 15th chapter (out of 18) of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. She was on the edge of her seat during the scene with the spiders, copying any expressions described (wide eyes and open mouths, e.g.), and pacing around the breakfast table. We had to cover the pictures in the book - they were too much. We read past our usual school morning time limit, because we could hardly stop with Ron and Harry in peril. 

When I told her that the next chapter was called "The Chamber of Secrets" she gasped. She didn't know what to do with herself. She was stammering things about wanting to know what happened next, and wishing she could just stay home to finish. And I … did not keep her home from school. But I knew exactly how she felt. This was the first time I've seen her truly on the edge of her seat, needing to know what would happen next and unable to find out right away.

Welcome to life as a lover of books, kid. Sometimes there are other commitments. But I do suspect that we will be finishing the book soon.

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: February 10: #BlackHistoryMonth, Sidekicks, #Play + Questions

Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Topics this week include #BlackHistoryMonth, #BookLists, #JoyOfLearning, #STEM, anti-Nazi stories, coding, collaboration, diverse books, growing bookworms, kidlitosphere, kindness, parenting, play, raising readers, schools, superheroes, and teaching.

Book Lists

40+ Compelling African-American History Books for Children, a @momandkiddo #BookList http://ow.ly/xFOK308M1L0  #kidlit #BlackHistoryMonth

100 Best Children's Books for African American History Month @KarinaYanGlaser @BookRiot  http://ow.ly/UOAv308OjOA  #BlackHistoryMonth #kidlit

Diversity + Gender

3 Reasons Why We Need More #YA Books About Girls Who Play Sports | Representation Matters @TeenVogue @briafel https://t.co/KZhDrMP5mb

Why children’s books that teach diversity are more important than ever by @bjepstein @ConversationUS  http://ow.ly/enYp308Okkr  #DiverseBooks 

Events and Programs

How To Use Stories To Teach Children Black History from @mamasmiles  http://ow.ly/VYou308OSJl  #BlackHistoryMonth #parenting

Growing Bookworms

Useful advice here: Granting #Readers Permission to Abandon Books by @heisereads  http://ow.ly/2y8E308M6cz  #RaisingReaders

Kidlitosphere

She had run out of books to read. What she did next will amaze you! Happy 10th anniv of blogging to @charlotteslib http://ow.ly/tBHJ308M4Tv 

On Reading, Writing, Blogging, and Publishing

The most obvious anti-Nazi stories around #kidlit and that come straight out of children’s books by @FuseEight http://ow.ly/CweD308M5bZ 

A very fun post from @mrskatiefitz that I identified with | Why I Love Sidekicks http://ow.ly/qhY1308Op7r 

Parenting

The importance of being kind to yourself, especially for moms, from @CoffeeandCrayon   #ChooseKindness #parenting http://ow.ly/JUGN308M31h 

Children encouraged to dress like Batman, Superman or Iron Man tend to focus more to overcome obstacles @SueSWSJ https://t.co/mBNB3gp8Xz

Play

Tools of the Mind: Teaching Children Self-Regulation through #Play by Dr. Deborah Leong at @FirstBook  http://ow.ly/VmSb308Osdn 

15 Ways for Kids to #Play Inside This Winter | @MelissaAndDoug @HuffingtonPost  http://ow.ly/VRpo308OSnH  #TakeBackChildhood

Schools and Libraries

On the need to teach kids to question + discuss in school, not be silent + compliant by @pernilleripp http://ow.ly/CUlq308Oo6M  #JoyOfLearning

Motivation for Learning: Competition Vs. Collaboration w/ ideas for the classroom (like no grades) from @mssackstein https://t.co/S84JOWm6to

How to Nurture Empathic Joy in Your Classroom @GreaterGoodSC @drdouggreen http://ow.ly/OJ67308M3RV  #JoyOfLearning #teaching

STEM

Why Learning to Code is so Important for Children @Lynch39083 via @drdouggreen  http://ow.ly/aeeb308M3qM  #STEM #coding

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Adrift: An Odd Couple of Polar Bears: Jessica Olien

Book: Adrift: An Odd Couple of Polar Bears
Author: Jessica Olien
Pages: 40
Age Range: 4-8

Adrift: An Odd Couple of Polar Bears by Jessica Olien is a tale of how opposites not so much attract, but rather come to appreciate one another gradually over time. Hazel is a book-loving polar bear who just wants to be left alone to read. Olien calls her shy, but I would classify her as introverted. Karl is an extrovert who loves to talk, and who wants to be noticed. He also smells like fish. They do not approve of one other. However, when an iceberg breaks off from the shore, taking only Karl and Hazel with it, the two opposites gradually learn to get along. 

This premise could have come across as didactic, but Olien keeps things light. I think that the book's 40 page length helps, giving her time to develop the two characters, and their rapprochement, slowly. She also uses the device that the iceberg is melting, forcing the two bears to physically become closer over time (and lending a small bit of worry that they might not make it to another shore at all). 

It could be that I just identified with Hazel, of course. Here is how she is introduced (wearing an orange scarf and reading Moby Dick):

"She doesn't talk very much.
She likes to sit and daydream in a 
quiet spot by the water." 

So of course I love her. But I also liked this exchange, as the two start to accept that they are stuck together:

"Of all the polar bears, Karl is stuck with
the one who doesn't like to talk.

Of all the polar bears, Hazel is stuck with
the one who talks too much."

Karl has a delightfully nervous expression, while Hazel stands with hands on hips.  The bottom line is that the two polar bears are well-defined characters, their described personalities reinforced by their actions, and by Olien's bold illustrations. I like them, and found myself rooting for them, even as I smiled over them building a wall of ice blocks to divide up their little floating island. The happy ending will make young readers smile.

Adrift: An Odd Couple of Polar Bears is an appealing book about friendship, survival, and learning that opposite personalities can complement one another. It could also be used by parents to introduce the concept of introverts vs. extroverts, those these exact terms are not used in the book. Recommended for library purchase, and an especially good fit for fans of books about polar bears. 

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (@HarperChildrens) 
Publication Date: January 3, 2017
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Things to Do: Elaine Magliaro & Catia Chien

Book: Things to Do
Author: Elaine Magliaro
Illustrator: Catia Chien
Pages: 40
Age Range: 4-8

Things to Do, written by Elaine Magliaro and illustrated by Catia Chen, is a book of short poems, each focused on something a child might encounter as she makes her way through the day. Topics begin with "Things to do if you are dawn" and move on through nature (acorns, spiders, the sun, the moon) and school (erasers and scissors) and on to nighttime. 

Elaine Magliaro's poems are joyful and read-aloud friendly. Some are quite brief, like this: 

"Things to do if you are BOOTS
Splish in puddle.
Splash on the walk.
Make the fallen
raindrops talk."

While others are longer, particularly those later in the book. While the poems technically speak to the item in question (e.g. the sky), they often offer advice useful to the reader, too. For example, "Things to do if you are a snail" concludes:

"The wonders of your world are small.
Don't hurry by.
Enjoy them all." 

Good advice for snails and kids, even as addressing the advice to the snail keeps the book from feeling didactic for kids. Nicely done! 

The poems are presented using varied fonts, with important words shown larger for emphasis (splish and splash above, for example). The word "stretch" is shown stretched out on another page, while the letters in "bumpy" bump up and down. This is definitely a book to look at while reading it, not just one to listen to. 

This visual display of the words is set against Catia Chen's luminous acrylic illustrations. The blurred edges of the pictures contrast with the crispness of the fonts, allowing words to stand out, even against full-page illustrations. The (somewhat androgynous) child seen on the cover makes an appearance in most, but not all, of the pages, interacting joyfully with her surroundings. The image surrounding the last poem, about the moon, brings Peter Pan's London to mind. 

If you are looking to introduce a young reader in your household to the beauty of poetry and the wonders of nature, Things to Do would be a great place to start. I could also see this as a classroom read-aloud for second or third graders, though I think it's a bit long for library storytime. Recommended, and a book that brightened my day.  

Publisher: Chronicle Kids (@ChronicleKids) 
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

© 2017 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through affiliate links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).